What Quarantine Looks Like in the South of France

First let’s get one thing straight, when they say isolation at home in France they mean it. We are well into our third week of being completely at home with no guests and no outings other than grocery shopping, and a maximum of 1 hour walking but within 1 km of home. To leave home you need your passport and a signed and dated form with the time of leaving one’s home.

Our village of 1,200 people is eerily quiet.

Fortunately our village is surrounded by vineyards and olive tree orchards. Everyday we walk our maximum of 1 hour, trying not to go over the limit. Spring is everywhere and it is so beautiful!

We have been cooking up a storm as you can see on Instagram @princessandbearwines and we harvest wild herbs on our walks every day.

The vineyards are just beginning to bud so the glorious carpet of green lushness will soon arrive, giving all of us hope that we are in a cycle and things will return to normal by mid-summer.

We are also reminded of the continuity of civilizations and generations of humans inhabiting this earth. Our village is an old pre-Roman hilltop settlement. On our walks we see the stone huts in the vineyards built by earlier generations in pursuit of the good life that comes from farming.

In this tiny village in this time of great need, since the schools are closed, the village is providing child care for children ages 3-12 for those parents who can still work.

This reminds us that we are all connected and helping others builds a strong web that ultimately supports all of us. Be Safe. Help Others In Any Way You Can. Spread Joy.

With love from the Team at Princess and Bear.